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Czech filmmaker Jan Hrebejk's The Teacher is a slow-burning drama examining the abuse of power in 1980s communist Czechoslovakia. However, rather than tell the story through government officials or police officers, the film – as the title suggests – revolves around a teacher at a secondary school.

Within a Slovakian primary school in 1983, new teacher Maria Drazdechova (Zuzana Maurery) immediately makes her intentions known – in order to get good grades in her class, her parents and students will have to perform various favours for her. Whilst never quite saying it, those who oppose to her blackmailing are subjected to poor grades and mistreatment in the classroom. When an aspiring gymnast student attempts suicide due to her parents not complying, an emergency meeting with all the student’s parents is held.

The decision is up to them – do they stand up to this teacher and possibly ruin their children’s education or do they let things be, keeping the corrupt status quo?

DVD9 | NTSC 16:9 | 01:42:47 | 6.25 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Slovak
Subtitles: English
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Director: Jan Hrebejk
Cast: Zuzana Maurery, Zuzana Konecna, Csongor Kassai
Country: Slovakia, Czech Republic

Extras:
-- Short film Sacrilege (2017) by Christophe M. Saber
-- Trailers